idosubaru

fairly straight forward - just remove all the stuff in the way - plug wires, throttle cables, hoses, disconnect CTS wires under manifold and i assume oil pressure sender too under alterantor.

That's an old style tensioner for 1997 and earlier EJ22's. Your 1998, unless it's been swapped, will be the new style tensioner. 1997 is the year I've seen both styles - though even then it's usually the newer style. If you buy an old style tensioner bracket you can use the old style tensioner in your car. Bracket, tensioner, pulley (assuming the kit came with the pulley - the one that has the "ear" on it). As Imdew said the OEM Subaru old style tensioners are more reliable than the new style tensioners. That's not an OEM SUbaru tensioner so I'm not sure if that's apples to apples, others can comment or make your own call there.

i've done quite a few so i can't recall but i don't think i've done it for oil pumps - but i've done it for nearly every other component on the front of a Subaru engine - 10mm cam cap bolts, 10mm water pump bolts, and a bunch of timing component bolts on the front of the engines and more elsewhere. it works most of the time - get the bolt as long as you can. you don't *have* to clean the threads with a tap - but if they're messed up it is wise to chase them. i've definitely just tossed in longer bolts without chasing if i don't have access or it's a rather simple part. usually i chase though just to be sure. honestly I wouldn't even be scared to leave one of the oil pump bolts out - depending which one it is. there's quite a few bolts on that pump, it's sealed around the body, and i bet it would hold with like 3 bolts in total without issue. i wouldnt' think twice about leaving one out if i had no other choice.

EJ water pumps rarely have issues and easily last 200,000 miles. if they do have issues - small leaks are about it, so they're benign even when they fail usually. someone just had a failure...i think on this forum in the past week or two...of an aftemarket water pump. i forget the mode... it's never a bad idea to replace bits while it's apart. i prefer subaru seals. it was older platforms but i've seen aftermarkets be mis-sized and leak. they're so cheap i just haven't compared or researched much. i'd lean towards the brown colored seals - in Subaru world anyway those are higher grade materials and more robust than the old "black" seals. not that there is probably anything that definitive about color, but for Subaru OEM it does mean a distinction that likely has some at least partial correlation in aftermarket.

Tons of times M6 x 1.00 threads. An alternate method to repair: 1. chase the existing threads with a M6x1.000 tap to clean them all up. 2. install longer bolts - the holes/threads are longer than the original bolts so a longer bolt will reach new/untapped threads at the bottom. Use a coat hanger or other similar "measuring" stick to get a feel for how deep the holes are and compare to the stock bolts. If you get a bolt just a tad too long - that bottoms out - put a washer under the head to shim out the distance. I'm sure there's probably a standard sized hole/thread/tap that you can just tap that existing hole out too as well, just need to mic or google the dimensions. Or yes - drill it out and helicoil - it's annoying working in tight spaces in front of the engine but it can be done. I've used a right angle drill or drill attachment (much cheaper - harbor freight). The drill bit will be too long to work with in front of the engine. Put drill bit rigidly in a vice or other set-up such that you can SMACK the crap out of it - high speed swing is key. swing a hefty hammer as hard/fast as you can and the drill bit will shear in half. be advised, wear goggles and the sheared off end will bounce, fly, and careen off concrete so ideally shear it off into a suitable entrapment (pile of clothes?). While hard, drill bits are brittle and will break with enough speed (think concrete blocks - very strong but easily breakable) Shearing them off makes them short enough to use in front of the engine compartment. You might not have a straight shank to chuck in the drill - but just try it in a few orientations...in other words install the bit...if it's not straight...loosen and rotate it a few degrees...install again...repeat until it's straight. it's really simple, takes seconds and awkward to explain with words - but just make sure the bit is straight in the drill.

Excellent description, this is easy: 1. replace the leaking $7 cam seal 2. read the codes for the check engine light. The oil light is nearly pointless on these engines - it doesn't really come on until you've got like 1 quart or less in the engine and things are already toast. The check engine light probably isn't even related - read the code first. Ideally you replace the entire timing belt kit, 4 cam seals, reseal the oil pump while it's all apart. Gates kits on amazon are reasonably priced for all timing bits. Or sure, have at it and install an EJ22, great engines.

ah, posting at the same time. JY trans is nice, already pulled and ready to go. if you wanted the scrap car for additional parts - you could also swap the front differentials and keep your known good transmission. swap everything to retain all the clearances/settings. a guy on this forum did it to a forester with success.

I don't see the delayed engagement into drive as a big deal. I get that it might scare some people, but there's like a multi- year thread of peopel that have fixed it for $5 and 5 minutes on this forum - so it's far from a scary transmission to avoid as a rule. Just read that thread and be educated or prepared if you start to see symptoms I wouldn't be terribly scared of a 200,000 mile 4EAT. check the fluid and overall condition. If I wanted another few years 50,000 miles out of my daily driver - i'd go for it. If it was going in a car I wanted to keep for 200,000 more miles, then I'd probably pass and get a lower mileage unit. if it's got clean fluid, seems reasonably maintained, and egine recnetly kaboomed on them - i'd run it. if it's been sitting in a farm field for 5 years, fluid is burnt, and the owner can't find his girl friends brother to get the title off of it...i'd probably pass or be very discerning. once you're done scavenging it I might need a piece of frame rail cut out for the captive nuts that ripped out of mine....let me know!

just cut another tone ring and reinstall it. not a big deal. it only affects the ABS, not the AWD. if the tone ring is not installed the car just works like any other car without ABS, no big deal it'll run and drive fine. it affects nothing else on this vehicle.

others on here, or another forum maybe, have mentioned using one final torque value before rather than the back off procedure. but i've never done it. +1 on not using aftermarket head bolts - there's no reason, the bolts are a non-issue on these engines.

no need to disconnect the AT - you can jack the engine up a good bit without disconnecting anything on the trans. the transmission isn't really connected to anything - for example if you unbolt it from the engine and the trans freefalls onto the crossmember. remove the pitch stopper (1 bolt) and two 14mm engine mount nuts - so with 3 fasteners you can easily do the headgaskets in the vehicle. it's not hard at all actually if you get the motor jacked up - definitely beats pulling an engine if you dont' mind leaning over the fenders a long time (bad back, age, size, conditions, etc) power tools help speed up that leaning over. that said - you probably could just disconnect the AT from the rear trans mount if you want too in order to put less stress ont he transmission bushings but i've never worried about it. support trans and unbolt the rear so it'll rotate more. still beats pulling the engine to trans botls, separating, torque converter/clutch dealings, etc. you can also tilt the engine, not just lift it up. if you're doing the drivers side - jack it up on the drivers side so it's tilted as well as higher. if you do pull it - replace the rear separator plate with a metal one if it's plastic.

I would consider the possibility this was an outlier event, a bad part/low grade aftermarket part, fluid contamination, etc. Subaru calipers routinely last the life of the vehicle with very few and rare failures. Google and forums like this show how rare brake issues are. Many brake calipers are only replaced due to stuck slides, not failed caliper pistons. I'd install used Subaru calipers and expect 100,000 more trouble free miles. If the rust is that bad you'll be replacing exhaust, fenders, rear alignment trailing arm bolts...etc. Rear brake pistons/calipers are not the first parts to rust out and certainly won't be the only thing. I've already replaced all of those parts on mine due to rust - and i have the original brakes at almost 250,000 miles now. That's the norm, there's nothing special about my car. So if you're just having caliper issues - I'd keep this simple and not try and blame it on a poor design. Get a known robust part - Subaru OEM - used or new. Replace any hardware not included - boots, retaining clips, pins. Use SilGlyde or some other high quality Silicon based brake caliper grease, not the generic permatex type stuff. Change the fluid. Check the calipers during tire swapping (all season to snows) or during rotations - in the rust belt this is wise. Never worry about calipers again.

Sorry to hear.

in general cruise control is disabled with various engine faults - usually ones that trigger a check engine light. any check engine light? There's an engine issue, address that first then go from there.

1. check the fluid level and color. does it look normal? Can you describe exactly what that means? At idle, while moving, or both? Off and then back on - how fast is that happening - every second or it's on a few minutes, then off a few minutes? Is it a lumpy/notchy feeling that comes and goes - indicating a seizing coupler that's working itself loose? The coupler could be seizing and then working itself loose. it's rare, odd for such a new vehicle, but so are any steering issues without any other symptoms.

always resurface the heads, it can easily be done in house, look up DIY head resurfacing here for GD's write up. the MLS/turbo head gasket discussion is for later Phase II (2005+) engines.

They should be able to run the diagnostic tree. Check continuity, probably a vaccuum test.

exactly - all EJ bellhousings bolt up to each other just fine no matter the bellhousing/year/model/etc. EJ, EG, EZ all bolt right up to one another.

some people say sure go ahead, others say don't risk it on such a large job and cheap part. it's been asked before, you can search and read the various replies. when i asked i opted to get another gasket. you could call/google the manufacturer and see what they say. granted they're likely to just say buy another one...but who knows, maybe they won't and maybe they'd just ship you a new one.

would it be simpler to get the engine/wiring you want and swap the trans if needed? trans swaps are easy. get a PT4WD single range, or FT4WD and swap to a dual range. if you're patient and have time you could do the FI conversion - there's enough guidance and information here to pull it off. but yeah, it would be easier to get what you want in the beginning. i have a severe distaste for carburetors as well.

i like the EA81's i've seen folks build on here. the guys that know what they're talking about (not me) will comment but based on their builds I'd ask about an EJ22 swapped, lifted, welded rear axle EA81 hatch back. ambiguous - depends on definition of "ultimate off road". road legal? dedicated off road - not road legal? rock crawling, trail running, or mud bogging in the deep south, snow, or coastal sand? all stock subaru components? lift kits allowed? original engines only or anything goes? custom tcase and solid rear end swaps? for $2,000? $5,000? $10,000? unlimited budget?

some searching will dig up some information here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/143131-94-legacy-suspension/

I'd replace the timing pulleys - they're old and devoid of grease by now. If you're replacing the timing pulleys might as well replace the belts too and get the kits since they're cheap and labor is nearly free. Pulley failure is as common as, or more than, belt failure. Replacing the belt alone is low grade maintenance. Crank seal, cam seal, cam cap orings and water pump all require the same labor - so each of those is another $300+ for labor to install a $3 seal. It makes sense to replace all of them while the timing belt is off, but I understand the desire not to pay more than you need to. You'll have to make that call how much risk aversion is worth to you. The seals and orings are cheap and easier to replace than the water pump (no scraping the mating surface) - and you'd be mitigating 5 failure points by addressing all of those, so maybe do all the seals and leave the water pump if you're trying to save a buck. If you do replace the water pump - get a Subaru water pump gaskets, some of the aftemarket gaskets are paper thin craptastic prone to leaking. I'd get Subaru seals on that engine too. Typically the ticking is approached like this: 1. reseal the oil pump - this occasionally solves the issue, but often does not. 2. replace the oil pump Since #1 is labor intensive, if you're paying labor you might as well just install a new pump rather than guess and have to pay labor twice since frequently a reseal doesn't fix it.

+1 not hard to find a set of used Subaru wheels either - like an older 16" set to mount new tires too.

indeed! just about every year there's changes 96 EJ25 premium gas, 97/98 different valve cover gaskets, 99 Phase II short block, 99 Phase I and Phase II depending on model, 2000 Phase II across the board EJ22: 94 OBDI, 95 OBDII, 96 single port exhaust, 97 interference and new tensioner (on most but not all 97's). 96+ EGR randomness and charcoal canister changes.